Trump dances on Colbert’s Late Show grave with AI dumpster video – The Independent
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The president celebrated the end of the 11-season run on social media, labeling the host a ‘total jerk’ with ‘no talent, no ratings, no life’
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President Donald Trump has shared a heavily edited, AI-generated video on Truth Social Friday evening, targeting Stephen Colbert following the final broadcast of The Late Show the night before.
The doctored clip depicts the president walking up behind the late-night host, physically lifting him and depositing him into a dumpster. The video then cuts to Trump dancing to the song “YMCA” by the Village People before a cheering crowd.
The post marks the latest escalation in a long-standing dispute between Trump and the former television host.
Following the show’s final broadcast Thursday, Trump praised the conclusion of the program on social media, writing that Colbert was a “total jerk” with “no talent, no ratings, no life.”
“Thank goodness he’s finally gone!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
CBS announced the cancellation of the 33-year late-night franchise last July. At the time, the network described the move as “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” rather than a reflection of the program’s content or performance.
But the cancellation occurred just days after Colbert publicly criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for agreeing to a $16 million settlement with Trump.
The legal dispute involved allegations that 60 Minutes had deceptively edited a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential campaign. Colbert had joked about the payment on air, referring to it as a “big fat bribe.”
Despite the controversy, Colbert’s final episode drew 6.74 million viewers, making it the most-watched weeknight episode of his 11-year tenure as host. Throughout its final season, the series maintained an average audience of 2.7 million viewers.
The final broadcast featured appearances by several prominent figures, including a joint segment with rival late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver.
Paul McCartney served as the final guest, performing The Beatles’ song “Hello, Goodbye” alongside Colbert, his family and production staff.
The program concluded with McCartney and Colbert symbolically pulling a power lever backstage at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, turning out the building’s lights.
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